84. Healing Family Trauma, with Abbey Williams
The Stepmom Diaries Podcast
How to break the cycle of relational trauma Today I'm talking to Abbey Williams, LSW about estrangements and healing to break the cycle of generational trauma. Abbey spoke at our recent (the Summit is over but you can still access the presentations for a few more days with an ) About Abbey: Abbey is a Trauma Therapist + Estrangement Expert, Founder of You, The Mother, Coach, Co-Founder of The Estrangement Project, Co-Founder of The Parenting with Trauma Project, and mother of 4. For over 10 years, Abbey has provided direct clinical and coaching services to individuals seeking healing...
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83. Family Feuds: Overcoming High Conflict and Parental Alienation with Maarit Miller
The Stepmom Diaries Podcast
What happens when you realize you're in a high-conflict situation? All too often, stepmoms get into their stepfamily only to realize their spouse's ex is way more high-conflict than they realized or that there is some pretty nasty parental alienation happening. That's exactly what happened to Maarit Miller and we're talking all about her experience and how it led her to start coaching others through similar situations. Maarit spoke at our recent (the Summit is over but you can still access the presentations for a few more days with an ) About Maarit: Maarit has been a mom for 20+...
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82. Does High Conflict Coparenting Ever Get Better? With Megan Hunter
The Stepmom Diaries Podcast
Does High Conflict Coparenting Ever Get Better? That's what we're talking about in today's episode with CEO and co-founder of the High Conflict Institute, Megan Hunter, another "three-peat" guest ( and ) and speaker at this year's (which is coming up April 25-28th - you can get on the waitlist for doors to open ). Megan will give us a bit of a preview of what she and Bill Eddy will discuss when they appear together at the Summit in a few weeks - and, as always, some great tips for handling any high conflict personalities you may have in your life. About Megan: Megan Hunter, MBA,...
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81. How To Stepmom Without Losing Yourself
The Stepmom Diaries Podcast
Is it possible to stepmom without losing yourself? That's what we're talking about in today's episode with relationship crisis coach Jessica Frew - a "three-peat" guest ( and ) and speaker at this year's (which is coming up April 25-28th - you can get on the waitlist for doors to open ). And spoiler alert, Jessica has some great advice. About Jessica: Jessica Frew is a wife, ex-wife, mom, stepmom, and BOLD action taker. She has a successful podcast called “Husband in Law” that she records with her husband, Matt, and her ex-husband, Steve. Together they are sharing their stories of love,...
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80. Hey Stepmom, Stop Comparing Yourself!
The Stepmom Diaries Podcast
Let's Get Comfortable . . . In Your Own Skin. Today's episode is about getting more comfortable in your own skin. Specifically as it relates to your partner’s ex and comparing yourself to her. This is something that I hear ALL THE TIME from stepmoms. And it can take various forms. It can be overt, like wondering if your spouse thinks she’s prettier or smarter than you. But it can also be sneaky and lead to even more insecurities, like when you wonder why your partner married her to begin with. Whatever way it comes, you can find yourself down an unhealthy rabbit hole real...
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79. The People Pleaser's Guide To Coparenting
The Stepmom Diaries Podcast
Are you a people pleaser? If so, this episode is for YOU. Our guest today has been here before, back on episode 61. And she recently published her first book, The People Pleaser’s Guide to Coparenting Well. About Mikki: Mikki Gardner is a Certified Life and Conscious Parenting Coach, a mom, a speaker, host of the Co-Parenting with Confidence Podcast, and author of the People Pleaser’s Guide to Co-Parenting Well. Mikki’s personal struggles with divorce motivated her to become a “better mom” so that she could better help her son overcome the challenges of their new family...
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78. Is It Normal To Feel Like This?
The Stepmom Diaries Podcast
In today's episode, I'm answering your questions! I put out a call before the holidays for questions and boy, did you respond! I'm so excited to tackle these and hope today is just the first of many Q&A episodes. Today's question is from Lauren, who wants to know if feeling like an outsider ever really gets better and how she can cope with it. If you've got a question you'd like me to answer, head and ask away! Links Mentioned In Today's Episode Submit a question to be answered on a future episode Join the Stepfamily Circle Are you enjoying The Stepmom Diaries? If so, please...
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77. When Your Expectations Fall Flat
The Stepmom Diaries Podcast
Today I'm talking to another veteran stepfamily coach, Amelia Lane, all about how to get "okay" with it when you realize your expectations do not line up with your stepfamily reality. Amelia has been a guest expert inside the membership, which you can learn more about . And she's got some great insights for you - no matter what stage of stepmom life you're in! About Amelia Amelia Lane is a Certified Stepparent Coach and the co-founder of The Art of Blended Chaos, based out of a small town in Ontario, Canada. As a {second} wife, mother of two, and stepmom of one, Amelia draws on 13 years...
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76. Staying Afloat After You've Jumped Into The Deep End Of Stepmom Life
The Stepmom Diaries Podcast
Today I'm talking to a veteran stepfamily coach and one of last year's speakers, Mindy Kyle. We are talking about how it feels when you realize you've gone from dating to the deep end of stepfamily life and feel like you are barely staying afloat. Mindy has a wealth of experience in that very subject and some great insights for stepmoms who might be struggling right now. About Mindy Mindy Kyle is no stranger to the struggles that often come with the title of stepmom. She became a stepmom to 4 kids at the early age of 24. Because of her struggles through her own stepmom journey,...
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75. Can Stepmom And Mom Really Be Besties?
The Stepmom Diaries Podcast
In this episode, I’m talking to a rockstar in the influencer marketing world, but one who also happens to be a stepmom and has one of the best relationships with her stepchildren’s mom that I’ve ever seen. Sarah Boyd and I actually met sitting next to each other at a dinner hosted by a mutual friend, Susie Moore, in Miami. And the more I talked to her about her family life and what a rockstar she is, the more I thought, I’ve got to have her on the podcast! The mom of Sarah's stepkids is journalist and influencer Catt Sadler, and it’s amazing how they have navigated their situation. I...
info_outlineIn this episode, we’re talking about something we haven’t tackled yet: relationships and marriage after 60. Settling down in your later years presents totally different blended family issues than what you face in your younger or midlife years.
There are 73 million people over the age of sixty in the United States, or twenty-two percent of the total population – and that number is only growing. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, by 2050, the number of people aged sixty-five to eighty-nine will double, while the number of Americans over the age of ninety is expected to quadruple. And while much has been written about the economic needs and impacts of this aging population, there's not much out there about the emotional lives of the age group.
My husband’s parents are in this demographic and they both got remarried the same summer we did. They had been divorced 16 years. And they both remarried the most wonderful people. I really hit the inlaw jackpot - and I’m not just saying that because they might listen to this!
But getting married after sixty - and in their case in their seventies - presented totally different blended family issues than what I faced when I married their son. They all had lived very full lives before they married. And they all had adult children - and while that certainly makes some things easier, it can present other issues that just weren’t top of mind for me and Craig.
Which is what we're talking about in this episode. My guest, Nan Bauer-Maglin, is Professor Emerita at the City University of New York. She has published eight collections (six with coeditors) on topics such as stepfamilies, retirement, feminism, death, dying and choice, and older parenting.
Her latest book is Gray Love: Stories About Dating and New Relationships After 60. In Gray Love, Nan and her co-editor, Daniel E. Hood, have compiled a series of essays that provide a fascinating first-hand glimpse into the love lives of older Americans as they face the twilight of their lives.
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